Sunday, December 26, 2010

Post 600 Beer Review!

On a roll today!

1) Alesmith - Decadence - 11% - English Old Ale - A bit of a comedown after what I havve been drinking. Kind of mild. Despite the ABV this might settle the stomach!

2) Nebraska Brewing - Fathead - Barleywine Aged in Whiskey Barrels - 10.8% Great more big beers. Thank god for the blizzard. Tasty but no where near the Gratitude. See you for New Years!

The storm did not allow me to get to work today. Metro North is pretty much shut down, So I get to review a few more.

3) Weyerbacher - Tiny 11.8% - Belgian Style Imperial Stout - Kind of like drinking a chocolate quad! Tasty, also makes me think of a chocolate banana split. Not necessarily an afternoon beer!

4) Sam Adams - Infinium- 10.3% Collaborative effort with Weihenstephan - Interesting beer style is Biere de Champagne which I guess is a relatively new style. Not sure is it is my type of style though!

5) Harpoon Brewing - Chocolate Stout - Nice Session beer - A little coconut taste to go with the chocolate. Well on the way to 700!

600

Russian River - Supplication - 7.0% - Picked for 600 based on the wants v. gots on BA. This is an American Wild ale aged in Oak Barrels with Cherries added. Wow is this sour. Upfront you get the sourness of green apples but then when the taste lingers some you really get the cherry taste. Not sure if I have this when I was at the brewery. Glad to have tried it although not me most favorite style. I really need to get a bottle of Pliny and i think I need to contact Capone's on this. As said to Supplication though, this is a very intense beer! On to 700!

599

Almost had an MC moment here as the bottle was wax sealed. Thankfully there is no more of that nonsense in inventory!

East End Brewing - Gratitude - 11.2% American Barleywine - Wow this is a sipper. I guess they release this every year on the breweries anniversary. Picked this up (like the others) at Capones as pasr of the Philly haul. This is all about caramel and fruit. Really get a plumb taste and then a bit of hoppines at the end for a nice balance.

Giant game at 4:00 is looking iffy considering the pace I am on. This is actually a very nice bottle. Might have to consider having a beer cave trophy space so to speak.

598

Hair of the Dog - Fred from the Wood - 10.0% - Fred is their barleywine. This is aged in Oak Barrels for 6 months and is pretty rare. This is a 2009 batch so it has some nice age on it. Very tasty the nose makes you think of a sour but the taste is pure barleywine goodness.

May have a couple of Barleywines as the snow may make a trip to Manhattan prohibitive tomorrow.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

597

Russian River - Damnation - Belgian Pale Ale - Batch 58 - 7.5% - Very tasty. 599 and 600 are now officially being chilled!

596

Russian River - Consecration - 10.0% - Ale aged in Oak Barrels - Never thought I would have had beers from this brewer to review. Then I went to Philly and found Capone's. Actually have had this when I visited the brewery in 2009. Love the sourness, this is just enough. Wild Ale style.....yes it is!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Merry Christmas Beer Review

Can you say Christmas on the Internet? I'll probably get sued by Obama's FCC for net neutrality or something. Anyway came across a new (for me) acronymn....DONG...which stands for Draft Only No Growlers. You heard it here first folks.

1) Harpoon Leviathan Barleywine Style Ale - 10% - A bit thin, maybe a bit too hoppy. Didn't get that plum or raisin type taste.

Re-installed office today and my beer list tracker is now operational. Hopefully can begin the count down to 600 on Christmas eve or so.

3) Iron Hill - Russian Imperial Stout - 9.5% - Nice and creamy with a lot of chocolate and coffee taste. Can't wait to make another PA run!

Nice numbering scheme.

4) The Bruery - Three French Hens - Belgian Style Dark Ale 10% - Third (obviously) in the epic vertical series that these folks are doing. Had Two Turtle Dove's last year (did not cellar). Bought one of these for cellaring and one for drinking. Tasty, sweet, more sweet (sugar taste) than the plum, toffee sweetness I would have expected. Wonder what this might be like in 9 years (assuming I survive this hobby!)

5) Founders - Backwoods Bastard - 10.2% - Says it's a Scotch Ale. Aged in bourbon barrels. Don't get the real scotch ale taste here as this is lighter and I think I am detecting some vanilla here. This is beer 591. Would expect a countdown shortly.

6) Bells Brewery - 25th Anniversaty Ale - 8.5% - Nice American Strong Ale - Fruity beer (DADT!), extremely drinkable. Part of the Capones (Philly) haul!

7) Founders - Imperial Stout - 10.5% - I love Founders Beer and wish it would come to CT. I've had the Breakfast Stout. I've had Kentucky Breakfast stout and I've had Canadian Breakfast Stout. This might be the best of it's more famous cousins. Outstanding!

8) Green Flash - West Coast IPA 7.3% - Nice little hop bomb before Christmas Eve dinner.

9) Cavalry Brewing - Nomad Stout - About 5% or so. Smokey Session Stout. Glad to see more breweries in Connecticut. City Steam is also botteling!


Let the Countdown begin!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

I'm back on-line beer review

With the help of Mr. B and a good computer repair place in Bridgeport I am good to go!

1) Harpoon - Leviathan Imperial IPA - 10% - Nice Amber color, slighly hoppy though not as much as I would have liked. Easily drinkable given the ABV.

Back to beer geekdom, went up to New England brewing for a Growler pour of Imperial Stout Trooper...great beer by the way. Their brewing schedule said they were going to ressurect their barley wine, Three Judges (named after a seedy motel nearby). I asked Matt if they were going to do this. Matt said asked Rob and I was treated to a debate as to what a barleywine should be. I was in heaven!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Weekend Beer Review continues

Had to put down one of my mother's cat's today, Ethel this beer is for you. On a happier note we will be coming in to a countdown to 600. Probaly right before Christmas will the momentous even occur. Have some real specialties for this!

1)The Duck Rabbit - Barleywine Ale - 11% - From North Carolina - One hell of a beer. Get the pear and molasses taste. Alcohol is well hidden but you certainly can't chug these. Part of the Philly (Capone's) haul that has turned out to be outstanding! This brewery has a great logo. I will be ordering a t-shirt and pint glass shortly.

2) Full Sail - Session Lager 5.1% - Crisp Clear & refreshing. This is the type of beer that you would want to give to a non-craft drinker. This is a go to beer, easily.

3) Bells Brewing - Expedition Stout - 10.5% - The Boys at BA say not worthy. Everyone else likes it. A beer Feud? I will say this.....potent!

4) Dogfish Head - My Antonia - Imperoal Pilsner - 7.5% - Nice lemon grass taste. Highly carbonated, nice hoppy finish. Nice drinkability despite the ABV.

5) Weyerbacher - November -7.7% - Coffe Infused brown ale. Brewery only release that I was able to get fro Capones. Mice beer, a little thin to support the coffee/chocolate flavor.

6) Full Sail - Black Session Lager - 5.4% - Just a little more malty than its cousin above. Again, a go to beer.

7) Iron Hill - Tripel - Good night!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

WTC

Wanted to show an update from the WTC site for a while. The first photo is the new Freedom tower. The last photo shows the foot print of the South Tower.





Weekend Beer review!

1) RJ Rocker - Black Perle - Dark IPA - 9.5% ABV - Not sure how this brewer got in to CT from South Carolina none the less, but this is a very enjoyable beer. The Chocolate malts really go with the hops. This is well done!